Jasmi Joensuu stunned by dominant win — laughed at her feelings as Tour de Ski peaked

It was a perfect sprint day and an Olympic rehearsal — Jasmi Joensuu was utterly dominant in the classic-sprint on the penultimate stage in Val di Fiemme.

Joensuu was the fastest already in qualifying, 0.74 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Nadine Fähndrich.

In the quarterfinal Joensuu started calmly but then attacked hard on the uphill near the end and left the others behind. She could cruise the finishing straight and cross the line as winner.

Joensuu escaped to an overwhelming win in quarterfinal 1.

In the first semifinal Joensuu and Fähndrich took the expected leading positions. Joensuu again moved to the front on the uphill and Fähndrich was able to follow. In the end Fähndrich won the heat and Joensuu took the second place that advanced to the final.

Joensuu and Fähndrich were clearly a class above in the semifinals.

In the final Fähndrich and Joensuu again grabbed the front places. Joensuu watched what Fähndrich did and struck again on the uphill.

Joensuu managed to hold the lead easily on the finishing straight. Fähndrich took second, and Johanna Hagström was third. Johanna Matintalo completed a strong Finnish contribution in fifth. Maja Dahlqvist finished fourth and Anja Weber was sixth.

Jasmi Joensuu: first World Cup victory

This is Jasmi Joensuu's first individual World Cup victory in her career.

"This feels perfect," Joensuu beamed in an English-language interview for the FIS.

"Very, very cool. All season I have known that my sprint skiing is good. Today I proved to myself that I can beat the very best in the world."

In Yle's interview Joensuu described her feelings as almost unreal.

"I knew today would be a good day. I said yesterday already that this is a good and beautiful track. Today was a perfect day for these conditions and for this venue."

The last Finnish female sprint winner in an individual World Cup race was in 2013: Mona-Liisa Malvalehto won in Liberec. Pirjo Muranen won in Rybinsk in 2009 and Virpi Kuitunen in Drammen in 2007.

"Of course this is a big thing. People expected me to be on the podium and to make finals, since I'm the reigning sprint cup champion. That doesn't matter what others say, but I wanted to show myself that I can produce a result like this."

"Today I also have to thank our service crew. Two days ago I had freshly prepared skis — the 'mussukat' — under me. This is a victory for the whole team," Joensuu praised and thanked service technician Kuisma Taipale by name.

Joensuu's previous and only career World Cup individual top-three came last season during the Tour de Ski, when she was second in the Sprint in Toblach.

This season finals had still eluded Joensuu — she had finished seventh three times in sprints. Her victory today is Finland's first podium place in this season's World Cup.

Some big names were missing from Saturday's competition: Norway's sprint powerhouse Kristine Stavås Skistad fell ill, and Sweden's Linn Svahn, Jonna Sundling and Emma Ribom were also absent. That does not take away from Joensuu's perfect day.

"Actually the whole day felt good. I've even reached finals more tired before. For some reason, after four races my condition felt better and my night recoveries were better than during the rest of the Tour. I don't know if this kind of stage racing suits me," Joensuu laughed brightly.

Finnish depth and other Finnish results

The Val di Fiemme sprint course suits Joensuu — she has liked this venue before, despite heavy criticism of the track from many skiers last year. The sprint course was modified this season with an eye to the Olympics; a new climb was added and after the legendary Zorzi climb there is now a flat section rather than a downhill start straight off the top.

It was precisely in the new climb-and-flat combination that Joensuu decided the race on Saturday.

In qualifying Joensuu was surprised by the course length but managed her pace well. Midway through the qualification she was only 10th on the split but she took the top time at the finish.

Yle expert Ville Nousiainen praised Joensuu: "It was a great performance from Joensuu. Time and everything the same as last year. She knows how to ski this course. She has the endurance to ski here."

Nousiainen also said Joensuu didn't panic when she held the lead.

"She managed a big even double-poling rhythm to the end, even as Fähndrich started closing. She dared to ski the climb using her strengths. Hagström and Fähndrich are weaker in endurance than her. Joensuu fed them poison on this climb," Nousiainen said.

Four out of five Finnish women advanced from qualification to the heats. In the semis, alongside Joensuu and Matintalo, Jasmin Kähärä also reached the semis — her first semifinal this season.

In the men's field the best Finn was Joni Mäki in seventh. He won his quarterfinal and finished a narrow third in his semi.

Niilo Moilanen fought hard for a semifinal spot but finished third in his quarter. He was later relegated to last in his heat for obstruction.

Photos: Joensuu celebrating on the podium and in Yle's interview.